Injection molding is commonly accomplished by constructing a mold insert with cavities and with a sprue hole in its upper surface, and lowering the mold insert into a mold base until the upper surfaces of the insert and base are flush. Then, an injector is pressed down against the upper face of the mold insert and pressured molten plastic is flowed through the sprue hole or a runner into the mold insert. The mold insert is then lifted partially out of the cavity, so it can be opened to remove the molded parts, replace the insert, or perform maintenance.
Prior systems for holding down the mold insert in the cavity, and then releasing the mold insert and lifting it by a plurality of millimeters, had generally included screws, which require some time to screw into place and unscrew to release and lift the mold insert. A system which enabled more rapid locking and ejection of the mold insert would be of value.